Improvement in signs



UNITED STATES PATENT CEEICE.

WILLIAM PENN DELAPLAIN, or IEoEIA, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN SIGNS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 88,458, dated March 30, 1869.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM PENN DELA- PLAIN, of Peoria,'in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Movable-Letter Signs 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and iigures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawings is a plan view of the device. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional view.

My invention relates to movable-letter signs; and consists in providing a device for adjusting and removing letter-blocks in a sign-board, so that the names of any irni or articles of merchandise can be inserted into the signboard at pleasure by means of letter-blocks, on which are painted the letters of the alphabet and numeral characters.

Letter A represents the frame of the signboard. Letter B is the top rail of the device, with two longitudinal grooves, on its under edge. Letter Gis the bottom rail, with two longitudinal grooves on its upper edge. Letter D is a side rail, with tivo perpendicular grooves on its inner edge. Letter L represents a side rail, with longitudinal slots for the reception of the letter-blocks, as hereinafterdescribed. Letter E is a center transverse bar, with two parallel grooves on its upper and under edges. Letters a are adjustable letter-blocks, sliding in grooves, as above7 the `Inode of adjustment of which is fully shown on Fig. 3 of drawings. Letters F represent pivoted gates, opening', respectively, to the right and as shown on Fig. 2. Letters b represent slots for inserting and removing letterblocks a.

The reverse side of the device is a duplicate of the plan view, as shown in Fig. l .of drawings, making. a double sign-board, reversible and changeable at will.

My device is operated as follows: When any name or article of merchandise is to be advertised, pivoted gates F are opened, and the proper letter-blocks to be used are inserted through slots b into the grooves formed by top rail B, bottom rail C, and center transverse bar E, and conveyed to their proper places by the fingers of the operator, until the whole advertisement is complete. Y

Whenever a change is desired, the letterblocks are slipped out through the grooves and slots and another name or article is in serted at will.

When all the letters are introduced, the gate F can be closed and the frame hung up in a suitable place for display.

The name of the advertiser may thus be made to appear on one side of the sign, While the commodity he desires to advertise may appear on the other.V

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A sign-board having lgrooved rails B and C, grooved side rail I), slotted side rail L, transverse ybar E, grooved, as described, ton gether with the gates F and adjustable letter# blocks a, constructed, arranged, and operating as specified.

In,testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses. l

WILLIAM PENN DELAPLAIN.

Witnesses v I L. H. KERR, FRANK PURPLE. 

